Feeling Underwhelmed and Disappointed with Apples 2024/25 Product Launch

[I<3oil]

I purchased the 15 Pro at the preorder last year and love it. I still have my 12 Pro as well because they wouldn’t give me what I wanted for trade in on it. I’ve decided I’ll never trade in the 15 Pro because it’s the first phone I bought for myself and the first one I paid in full up front for. I think the 16 models are pretty much the same it seems maybe slightly better camera and better chips. I don’t like the regular 16 though it’s ugly by looking like the base 11 and 12 with the bigger cameras though. But I’m also so far in the Apple eco system that I’d never switch. I don’t want to switch anyways as Apple is the only thing I’d use. I also used to be an Android user but not by choice. Apple disappointed me this year by not bringing a blue phone in the lineup too. I wasn’t going to upgrade anyway but I think blue should be a color every year. I do like the gold though and think the white and natural also looks very nice. I’m currently saving up for a iMac and an Apple Watch. I have a MacBook Pro, iPhone, iPad, AirTags, AirPods, Apple TV and all those goodies. I have almost every iPhone too up to the 6 because I collect them lol. I’m trying to get my parents on the Apple train maybe this year I’ll be successful lol. My dad and mom have both hated their S21 Ultras since day one so being the good son I am trying to get them to switch to fruit phones for the better lol. I still have not and will not forgive Apple for switching to USB-C. Apple is supposed to be the superior product and by using the same charger as everyone else they aren’t showing their superiority. You could of made a special adapter for Europe or whoever it was that wanted USB-C.

Apple gave me $300 trade in for my 12 pro max with 70% battery serviceability lol

Yes please

 

[ctrcbob]

So much complexity,
So much confusion.
Yes. I’m old.

Three SE-2 using towers and WiFi.

Two i5’s
One i5-S
One iPad-2.
One iPod-2.
Still works on WiFi.

Plus my favorite old (very intelligent DUMB Phone)
Motorola SLVR L9. Had to give up using my L9 because my carrier at the time would no linger support a G2 phone. Will stay with G4 as long as I can.

 

[factorytuned2012]

(First full disclosure though most know. I am fully in the Apple world now and have been for a few years, Long ago I was an Android and Windows person. Now, we (my wife and I) have 2 iPhone 13's, 1 MacBook Air, 2 Mac mini desktops with 27 inch monitors, wife has an Apple Watch 7 and I have an Apple Watch 9. We also have my wife's maybe last Windows device which is a Lenovo Yoga EVO laptop and her company provided Dell workstation.)

Am I the only one? I combed and searched but no one posted anything.
Apple held their annual new product launch yesterday Sept 9th and I am disappointed, was really hoping for something new, something exciting, something that I could have an excuse to go out and buy, yet, completely underwhelmed.
I am not specifically talking about AI which I think is a farce at the present time. AI is in its infancy and the new Apple models will be more like (hopefully) a better Siri that works properly.

I honestly feel their stock price will be affected by this lame product launch but maybe I am not a typical consumer. I want something new, not the same old phone design, same old ear buds, same old stuff but just updated = BORING!

I cant think of anything in the new product launch that wants me to go out and get one. HECK I would even settle for maybe an excuse to get a iPhone 16 Pro for a change but the same old boring colors of the Pro makes me like the cheaper iPhone 16 non pro model. So I guess I will just stay with my iPhone 13 because the 16 isnt giving me any kind of thrill right now.

Anyway, Im annoyed and let down. Meanwhile Samsung has a less capable but BEAUTIFUL folding screen smart phone, google has theirs, other companies, mostly all Chinese like Motorola offering folding screens and top rated, Xiaomi has best in the world camera phone and also folding phones, HUAWEI is another, but world class Apple?!?!?!? NO, same old boring design, nothing wrong with that but give us options. Actually HUAWEI just announced the world first TRI-FOLDING phone 3 days before Apples launch. 3.7 million preorders in China.

Im sure Apple with survive and be fine? Sometimes I get these "feelings" about companies, my wife almost laughs about it. Let's say we go to a restaurant that we like all the time and then one day I will say to her, this place is going to close down and sometimes even large corporate ones goes for retail stores too. She tells me "oh no" *LOL* "stop it"
.... and .... well sooner or later it happens.

Anyway, all I know is it is fantastic that Apple products work so well and integrate like no other system in the world but sometimes walking on the wild side can be more fun (if you know what I mean) and Im getting to the point that I am getting bored with the perfect little Apple system and might be tempted to give some of that up for more fun! COME ON APPLE!!!

(Im still about a year out from that thinking but I keep thinking about it and once that starts I dont know how long I will last*LOL*)

If I do it will be a big project as I will never live without a Smart Watch so would have to move the watch and phone into the Android world together which both will no seamlessly integrate with my Apple Desktop and Laptop... but I am getting bored so might be worth the risk one day. Im just plain bored and Apple better get their act together because I cannot be the only one.

most of my tech is older as I matured computers TV's and phones have less and less moved me. my Chromebook is pushing 5 years old I just recently moved from a 6 year old iPhone to the 13. $500,1000,1500 spent on tech could go a far way in an investment portfolio.

 

[AutoMechanic]

Apple gave me $300 trade in for my 12 pro max with 70% battery serviceability lol

Yes please

Mine was at 80% and they were offering like $350 no way lol. Apple products hold their value. I might take $350 for it now but not then when it was worth about $500. But I wanted it for my collection anyway. So I just hung onto it.

 

[I<3oil]

Mine was at 80% and they were offering like $350 no way lol. Apple products hold their value. I might take $350 for it now but not then when it was worth about $500. But I wanted it for my collection anyway. So I just hung onto it.

Yeah, in late 2024 for a 12 pro max 128gb with a 70% battery, I jumped at $300 trade in

 

[KrisZ]

They have enough “i”s for now it seems.

 

[Bailes1992]

I've had an iPhone 15 for 6 months now after 15 years of Android phones and I'm happy to say it's terrible.

The selection of apps is poor.
I find it's very glitchy, especially 3rd party apps that were working fine on my Android phones.
The camera is generally poor compared. My previous Xaomi 12T Pro before this had a 200mp camera.
The camera also doesn't have a Macro mode. C'mon apple! A £100 Samsung A05 has Macro mode!
The charging rate is poor compared my previous Xaomi which would charge at 120w (0-100% in ~20 mins) compared to the iPhone 15 which charges at 20w maximum.
And Apple CarPlay isn't a patch on Android Auto.

The entire package feels restrictive, I can't even explain it. It's just all round poor. It genuinely feels like it's been 'held back'. It's missing features I've become accustomed to for the last 3-5 years.

I'm so disappointed with my decision and looking forward to being able to ditch it for something else in the near future.

 

[KrisZ]

I had a hard time transitioning to iOS as well. So many workarounds to do stuff that was second nature on androids. Apple wants you to be fully invested in their ecosystem.

To me smartphones have become a commodity item, they are all pretty much the same and with Apple, they are all the same and stay the same for years and years. Not sure why people get so excited about any of them.

 

[alarmguy]

I've had an iPhone 15 for 6 months now after 15 years of Android phones and I'm happy to say it's terrible.

The selection of apps is poor.
I find it's very glitchy, especially 3rd party apps that were working fine on my Android phones.
The camera is generally poor compared. My previous Xaomi 12T Pro before this had a 200mp camera.
The camera also doesn't have a Macro mode. C'mon apple! A £100 Samsung A05 has Macro mode!
The charging rate is poor compared my previous Xaomi which would charge at 120w (0-100% in ~20 mins) compared to the iPhone 15 which charges at 20w maximum.
And Apple CarPlay isn't a patch on Android Auto.

The entire package feels restrictive, I can't even explain it. It's just all round poor. It genuinely feels like it's been 'held back'. It's missing features I've become accustomed to for the last 3-5 years.

I'm so disappointed with my decision and looking forward to being able to ditch it for something else in the near future.

Not every product is for everybody, so when you got used to the android system and apps that run on it, it’s trying to get used to a new mythology and system. It can be a pain in the neck.
I’ve never had an app problem on my iPhone.

With that said Xaomi is an excellent Chinese phone manufacturer. You are overseas. Xaomi does not sell or support phones in the USA.
You can buy them on Amazon, they will not work on Verizon and will work only on T Mobile and possibly ATT GSM network) and you will not have a product warranty.
I read a lot about the Xaomi 14 ultra
I’m surprised you didn’t go for it being it sounds like you’re in into photography the ultra 14 a photographer’s dream!

Xiaomi 14 Ultra review: the king of the camera phones

Xiaomi's latest flagship boasts a next-level Leica quad camera system with six focal lengths

www.techradar.com

 

[javacontour]

What are the benefits of the 120hz displays? Smoother? I have an iPhone 13 but the battery is getting weak so I may upgrade and am open to the Pro if it’s better.

The display on the pro models is much nicer.

I have a personal iPhone 15 Pro and my work phone is the iPhone 15. The pro is the nicer display. Is it $200 nicer is the question.

Look at both side to side and decide.

After I bought oilBabe her iPhone 15 Pro Max last year, I had to move from the 13 Pro I had to a 15 Pro. (Okay, had to is a bit strong, I really had envy, but didn't want the larger Pro Max.)

Frankly, the 16 or 16 Plus are both pretty solid performers relatively speaking. Moving to the Pro models, better cameras, faster CPU and better battery life relative to even the 15 Pro I have. I do know you can get more with some Android offerings.


I'm still debating updating my 15 Pro to a 16 Pro, but will wait to see how things roll out.

I'm considering moving my personal line to Boost as they have the smart network that uses Boost, ATT or TMO towers. oilBabe has been on it for the past year and it's worked well. It worked better than my Mint Mobile service did when we were in Alaska this summer.

They are offering a "free" year of service if you buy the phone outright from them. Essentially getting my iPhone 16 Pro for $800 as the year of service is worth $300. It would be an unlocked phone as well as their unlock policy is to immediately unlock if you buy it outright. The price is the same as if I bought it at the Apple store, so why not?

I'm sure I can get close to the $800 by selling off my 15 Pro, so the upgrade that I know I don't really need would be very low cost.

Yes, I know it's irrational. I just want to have the newest(ish) phone.

I don't treat myself to many things, but can treat myself to a new phone given I buy them outright and can sell them for 2/3rds of the new cost give or take after a year of use.

 

[factorytuned2012]

imagine putting iPhone pro money into a retirement fund.

 

[PWMDMD]

I like tech and I own a lot of tech, but I also use it until it dies or becomes unusable. I'm currently on an iPhone 13 PRO with 87% battery life and I will get every last bit of life out of it before I upgrade.

 

[SaberOne]

I'm still using an iPhone 12 Max, and it meets all my needs. I remember when I used to upgrade every year or two, but with the current state of the economy, I'm not motivated to upgrade anything.

 

[4strokes]

My grandson recently came over with his new Samsung A15 obviously lots comprises on a 180 dollar phone but it does have a 90hz display the new iPhone 16 is still 60hz. Anyway it sure is a good bang for the buck once you clean out the bloatware.

 

[javacontour]

imagine putting iPhone pro money into a retirement fund.
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Imagine I’ve been doing that for 30+ years and the daily gains are far more than an iPhone, so I can treat myself.

Kids are grown and off the payroll.

If I drop a grand on a phone that is what $3/day over the course of a year.

I don’t smoke. I don’t buy a $5 coffee very often. Having nice tech and a fat 401(k) are not mutually exclusive.

I’ve driven $100 cars to get to where I am today.

 

[wpod]

I figured expenses were moved from R&D to fight the DOJ's anti-trust suit.

Or the cost of their [new] campus should have been spent on R&D.

 

[alarmguy]

Or the cost of their [new] campus should have been spent on R&D.

How can they do any better? Take all the cell phone companies who sell phones in the USA, put them all together and yet, Apple, one single company has more market share than all the others combined in the USA. Not only that but Apple is a premium brand, they do not even sell the cheap stuff. So how much more R&D is going to change that? Im sure they would like to know.
Maybe Samsung needs to take your advice, they sell cheap and expensive phones but only command 24% of the USA market to Apple 56%.

iPhone US Market Share: 2024 - SimplyMac

Each day, millions of people in the US use iPhones and that has led to a near 55.91% market share for Apple in the United States smartphone market. Not only

www.simplymac.com

 

[SaberOne]

Sounds like I was in your shoes about 10 years ago. Apple is no longer the company of exciting innovation or fun products to look forward to. That said, it’s still a solid, stable platform for those who want reliability over surprises. I’m still hanging on to my iPhone 12 Pro Max, M2 iPad, nine original HomePods, an older Apple TV, and an Apple Watch—though I’ve lost track of which version it is—plus AirTags and a collection of cables and chargers. Honestly, if it weren’t for the Apple Watch integration, I’d probably be showing off a Galaxy Fold by now.

 

[alarmguy]

Sounds like I was in your shoes about 10 years ago. Apple is no longer the company of exciting innovation or fun products to look forward to. That said, it’s still a solid, stable platform for those who want reliability over surprises. I’m still hanging on to my iPhone 12 Pro Max, M2 iPad, nine original HomePods, an older Apple TV, and an Apple Watch—though I’ve lost track of which version it is—plus AirTags and a collection of cables and chargers. Honestly, if it weren’t for the Apple Watch integration, I’d probably be showing off a Galaxy Fold by now.

Well honestly? I dont see anything ground breaking anywhere. I do agree the folding phone is nice. I suspect we will possibly see one from Apple.
Im up to date mostly on everything. One MacMini i5, One MacMini M1, One MacBook Air M1, My Apple Watch is a 9, wife's is a 7 and two iPhones 13's and maybe around 8ish AirTags which are invaluable to us and make good (and fun at times) use of them.
Recent trip to the Philippines we had them in all our luggage, in our carry ons even in our laptop cases. It was kind of cool tracking our luggage on our phones. We took 9 flights in 14 days... our last leg, right here in the USA-Atlanta airport when we flew from Atlanta to Myrtle Beach, one luggage was missing, pulled up the app and showed on the tarmac at Atlanta *LOL*

They bought it to us the next morning. Even then, I knew who bought it to us, stopped for lunch at McDonalds! *LOL*

But yeah, I get bored and want something new, there isnt much except that Fold and another phone not sold in the USA XIAOMI 14 Ultra with what is supposed to be almost a true (lack of better words) professional camera. I also like the Samsung S24 ultra series. However I am really stuck in the Apple world for now. Everything is so integrated into my life and honestly I make a lot of use trying to stay healthy and the Apple Watch is invaluable to me... I think that would be the one sticking point, the Apple Watch... and air tags.
The two MacMini's would be fine... to me the iPhone 13s are getting old now. I wouldnt mind the 16 pro but feel like I am wasting money... maybe something will come out for the 17s

... yet, yeah, I want something new and exciting.... how about those META RayBan sunglasses ... supposed to be like "WOW" as far as the latest editions. We will see.

 

[Cropduster172]

Well honestly? I dont see anything ground breaking anywhere. I do agree the folding phone is nice. I suspect we will possibly see one from Apple.
Im up to date mostly on everything. One MacMini i5, One MacMini M1, One MacBook Air M1, My Apple Watch is a 9, wife's is a 7 and two iPhones 13's and maybe around 8ish AirTags which are invaluable to us and make good (and fun at times) use of them.
Recent trip to the Philippines we had them in all our luggage, in our carry ons even in our laptop cases. It was kind of cool tracking our luggage on our phones. We took 9 flights in 14 days... our last leg, right here in the USA-Atlanta airport when we flew from Atlanta to Myrtle Beach, one luggage was missing, pulled up the app and showed on the tarmac at Atlanta *LOL*

They bought it to us the next morning. Even then, I knew who bought it to us, stopped for lunch at McDonalds! *LOL*

But yeah, I get bored and want something new, there isnt much except that Fold and another phone not sold in the USA XIAOMI 14 Ultra with what is supposed to be almost a true (lack of better words) professional camera. I also like the Samsung S24 ultra series. However I am really stuck in the Apple world for now. Everything is so integrated into my life and honestly I make a lot of use trying to stay healthy and the Apple Watch is invaluable to me... I think that would be the one sticking point, the Apple Watch... and air tags.
The two MacMini's would be fine... to me the iPhone 13s are getting old now. I wouldnt mind the 16 pro but feel like I am wasting money... maybe something will come out for the 17s

... yet, yeah, I want something new and exciting.... how about those META RayBan sunglasses ... supposed to be like "WOW" as far as the latest editions. We will see.

ZZzzzzzzzzzzz